


Knowhere High School

by 8rocks



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-03-01 02:40:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2756510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8rocks/pseuds/8rocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter Quill has been kicked out of every high school in the district, except Knowhere, home of the miners.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Knowhere High School

Somewhere in Michigan

Three counts of graffiti, four counts of theft, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon. It was kinda self defense, to be fair. But Peter Quill hadn't lost any respect for himself through his little misadventures in freshman and sophomore year. Sure, his dad was kinda mad that Peter had been kicked out of nearly every high school in the district, save for Knowhere; home of the Miners.

"The Miners. The fucking Miners. Who thought that was a good idea?" Peter Quill grumbled, pulling his headphones over his ears. The year was 2014 and he was still carrying around the dumb ol' Walkman his mom gave him, with the original headphones and everything.

Oh, set me up with the spirit in the sky

That's where I'm gonna go when I die

The walk to the school wasn't that bad, but to Peter it felt like a couple miles in the August heat. His idle fingers took a stick from the ground and he brushed the dirt onto his red leather jacket. Peter's eyes darted around suspiciously then the eighteen year old let himself go. It didn't concern him much that he was walking - more like strutting - into his new school lip syncing to Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum with a light layer of sweat and a few minutes late under his belt. Actually, it didn't concern him at all. He wouldn't be here for very long.

"WHEN I DIE AND THEY LAY ME TO REST," the notes came out of Peter's mouth terribly off key, but his music was too loud to tell. "Gonna go to the place that's the best!" He kicked over a trash can then twirled, his red jacket flying out behind him, "gonna go to the place that's b- shit!" With a loud thump, Peter came crashing to the ground. The unforgiving white tile of the old school cut open his knee and the palm of his hand. "God dammit."

"You having fun?" A voice came from his left. Peter didn't even have to see her to know her hands were on her hips and a pouty/disappointed look took the shape of her lips. But when he finally did turn around his eyes landed on a caramel skinned, purple haired school girl. Well, he wasn't wrong about the hips and her lips and whatever but he was somewhat surprised at her figure. There weren't any attractive girls at his old school... At least none he hadn't slept with.

Peter pushed himself over onto his butt and crossed his legs. "I was having fun, til this damn trashcan," he nudged the blue plastic bin with his boot, "sabotaged my concert." He gathered his things and threw himself up on his feet. "Peter, Peter Quill." His voice echoed through the empty halls, and he offered his pale hand.

Gamora took his hand in her own. "You say that like I care. You're just some new delinquent here aren't you? God, what I would give for this school to not be the last in the damn district."

"Whoa, take it easy there, student president. I'm just-"

"What did you call me?"

"Nothing. What? I called you something. Pfft, I think you need to relax, Miss..."

"Don't tell me to relax." Gamora didn't hesitate to snarl at him but regretted it a little after. She knocked his hand away. "Just get to class before you get in more trouble.

"You know," the suave junior swung his leg forward and almost tripped but quickly caught himself, "I might be more inclined to leave you alone if you told me your name."

"Really?"

"Sure. Whatever you want."

Gamora eyed him suspiciously. "All you want is my name? It's Ella." She could deceive him easily, and doing so brought a smug look to her face.

For the most part, Peter ignored her smirk and blamed it on the charming man she was talking to. "Alright Ella, I guess I'll be going." He saluted to her slightly and turned on his worn out heel. Gamora knew she had won so she turned in the other direction, towards her own classroom. Before the strange duo could really realize, or formulate a plan to throw one another under the bus, there was a teacher in the halls. "Hey, what are you two doing out of class?"

"I was just, uh-"

"He was late!" Gamora exclaimed, pointing at Peter with an accusing finger. She really just wanted to sneak away while the teacher was busy.

"Oh?" The frumpy teacher, Mr. Tivan, appeared as nothing more than an angry old forty-something who didn't want to be here as much as the angsty-ist teenage girl on the premises. "Detention, for him, and detention on you."

She didn't look anything short of offended. "What for? I didn't do anything!"

"For trying to throw whats-his-name here under the bus!"

"Uh, it's Peter."

"Quiet, you. Both of you, detention today after school." The grumpy ass didn't want to hear anymore out of the two so he left, without another word.

"God dammit. Detention on the first day," Quill rubbed the back of his neck, a little sheepishly, then pulled his headphones back over his head.

Gamora had half the mind to let him know exactly what she thought of him but by the time she had raised her hand to stop Peter, he was already gone; lip syncing to Hooked On A Feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter joins the star quarter back, and "Ella" in detention.

"I can't believe we got detention. I mean, I didn't even do anything wrong! It was my desk so I figured I'd mark it with my pocket knife. Isn't that just the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard, Groot? I mean, Jesus. How are we supposed to have any fun around here?"

Rocket continued to rant and curse and shake his fist at an imaginary justice system that seemed to follow him around and pick on him, while Groot just towered over him. Groot was about 6'5", and Rocket was 5'7" but he liked to say he was 5'8". Nobody really knew why Groot was so freakishly tall; his parents were normal sized, he wasn't bitten by some radioactive caterpillar or anything, but Groot didn't mind being tall. In fact, he barely noticed it. In his own mind, he was the same size as Rocket, because Rocket had always been there for him. The dynamic duo, the two musketeers, the golden trio minus one, whatever you wanna call them; they walked towards the library for detention. Rocket's words faded in and out of Groot's unusually tiny ears, hidden by a beanie and a mess of curly brown hair.

"You know, we should just all have our own desks for the whole year. What's with this moving shit? Desks are stupid. Classrooms are more stupid. School is the stupidest. Is that a word? Whatever. We should just runaway, become hobos! Groot, you already got the look for it! We'd just have to get you a bandana and we'd be good!" The shorter sophomore stopped in his tracks after the taller senior did, and cocked his head to the side. "What are you even doing?" When Groot rose from his crouched position, he held a small dandelion in his hand. A smile came to his face and he offered the dandelion to Rocket. "Stop smiling, we're supposed to be tough. C'mon," sneered Rocket. He always sounded like an angry little boy who had his toys taken away from him. But Groot didn't mind, because he knew how Rocket really felt.

Groot fell into step behind Rocket as they approached the dauntingly large library. Sure it's nice to have a good library, but if the builders had spent more money on the carpet in the rest of the school, maybe it wouldn't be totally rotten and covered in gum and shit. Groot reached out his lanky arm to hold the door open for Rocket then ollow him in.

Inside was almost exactly how Rocket thought it would be; desolate. Well, there were three other kids in there. Some kid who thought he was the shit and was listening to his music too loud through his headphones, the smartass girl who thought she was too good to talk to anyone who existed (and it didn't matter because no one liked her anyway), and the school's star football player. "Great," Rocket muttered, so low Groot could barely hear, "we're stuck with the losers. C'mon, let's get a seat in the back."

Meanwhile Peter shamelessly drummed his fingers on the desk to the rhythm of Cherry Bomb by the Runaways. The music was turned up as loud as it could go and Gamora, four seats away, could hear it. She wanted to be mad, smack him upside the head, but she found herself tapping her foot to the beat. So she didn't say anything to him. He was in his own little world anyway. Gamora decided to snack on her bag of grapes.

The supervising teacher happened to be the flabby-ass Mr. Tivan. "Wow, aren't I lucky? Graced with the presence of Miss Rules, Mr. Tone Deaf, Dwarf and even Dumbo's in here! I've never seen you in detention. What are you in for?"

"You call him dumbo one more time and I'll give you five more reasons to put me in detention!" Slowly curling up a fist, letting Tivan count the fingers, Rocket snarled. Groot didn't even look like he minded, just played with his little dandelion. He was saving his wish for when he really needed it."

Mr. Tivan just grimaced at 'Dwarf' then turned to the football player, who resided in the front. "But today won't be too bad, will it, Mr. Drax? Children," he spat with a demeaning tone, "I have business to attend to, so Mr. Drax will serve as your supervisor until I return. May I remind you his nickname is 'Drax the Destroyer'? He'll kick all of you into the next galaxy if you break any rules, and you can trust me on that." After a final glance at the group of outcasts, Mr. Tivan left.

Levi Drax got to his feet, wearing a letterman jacket and jeans. He was huge. There wasn't any other word to describe him; he was about 6'3" and really buff and wide and really really fucking intimidating. Rocket felt threatened. Peter didn't give a shit. Gamora had a little bit of a crush on him but would never admit it. Groot still hadn't looked up from his flower. Drax didn't say anything during his walk to the front podium. The room was uncomfortably quiet, save for Peter's finger drumming and eighties music. A long creek followed by a closing door signaled Tivan was finally gone.

"So you're telling me," Rocket said as he stood up, "we've gotta listen to you? So what if you're good at throwing inflated rubber around on fake grass? I could be good at that too!"

"I'm pretty sure it takes some height to catch 'inflated rubber' or whatever you called it," Gamora commented from the front.

Rocket rolled his brown eyes, "shut up, Gamora."

That was when Peter started paying attention. "Wait, Gamora? Who the fuck is Gamora?"

"Rule enforcer over there."

"Shut up!" Gamora quickly retaliated, throwing a piece of paper at his face and hitting him square in the nose.

"No, that's not correct. I'm the rule enforcer, am I not?" Drax, purposefully or not, flexed his muscles under that leather jacket. He didn't look neccesarily angry, just... Confused. 

"And what is this talk of fake grass?"

Everyone sort of just disregarded anything that came out of Drax's mouth unless it was threatening, and they all did it in their own special way; Peter stared, Rocket groaned, 

Gamora rolled her eyes and Groot didn't appear to even be paying attention. "Anyway... You told me your name was Ella. Now it's Galaga or something."

A laugh burst past the small sophomore's lips. "You think she was named after a video game? That would be like naming somebody The Destroyer."

"I am Drax the Destroyer. Do you have a problem with it?"

"Nothing, Bigfoot, it's nothing."

"My name isn't Bigfoot, it's Drax The Destroyer. Didn't we just go over this?"

The rapid fire stupidity was too much for Gamora to take. "I'm surrounded by the biggest idiots on the face of the planet."

"Says the girl named after the video game."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sick of writing chapter summaries. Groot wishes on a dandelion.

There wouldn't be any way to write out the dialogue that followed Peter being an idiot and calling Gamora a video game. It would just be too full of half sentences, cuss words and metaphors not taken quite the way they were supposed to be. But after a while, the speaking ceased. The five high school kids just sat there and looked one another in the eye. 

Except Groot, he still hadn't said shit about anyone.

He did make the wish on his dandelion, though.

The silence was confusing and more than a little uncomfortable; but it was finally interrupted by Gamora's green cell phone vibrating against the cheap plastic chair. She whipped it out, typing in her passcode with her nimble fingers. Peter watched her green eyes widen slightly, but then return to their normal state as she tried to hide her surprise, her confusion. Peter still had to ask. "What's wrong?"

"My sister just said my dad's in the hospital. I guess he got in a car accident." It was taking most of Gamora's energy not to look like she was worrying.

"Holy shit, man. That sucks, you gotta get over there. What are you still doing here?"

"I don't have a car and the hospital's ten miles out. I'm stuck here until my sister can come get me."

Rocket piped up, "oh yeah, isn't your sister's name Galaxy or something? Were your parents really stoned when they named you or are they just really stupid?" Rocket wasn't best at identifying the times he should shut the hell up, so Groot usually nudged his arm. He felt Groot's hand and shut his loud mouth. "Groot's got a car."

"You're making fun of Galaga's name and this guy's name is Groot? I thought it was Dumbo."

"If you call him Dumbo, I will make sure your face is so swollen you won't be able to sing along to your shit eighties music!"

The unstoppable and completely maddening dialogue was about to start up again, when our silent giant, Drax, stood from behind the desk in the front of the library. "Friends-"

Peter was confused. "Is he calling us friends?"

"We sure as hell aren't friends. If I had a choice, I'd never speak to the likes of Quill," Gamora growled. Peter wasn't sure if she was just stressed out or if she really meant it. Her perfectly plucked black eyebrows were knotted in a serious look, her lips slightly pouty with a thin gloss of strawberry chapstick and crumbs from her snack.

"Will you people shut your lips for a few minutes and listen to me talk?" It was more of a command than a question when it came out of Drax's mouth. The room fell silent. "Thank you," he murmured. "If Garrett has a car, he can take Gamora to go see her father. I'd be willing to let her go and not tell Mr. Slannen... If you'll bring me with you."

Groot quickly nodded but Rocket, the negotiator for Groot's interests, still looked like he was debating the terms. "No way, jock. It's a small car and he's my ride home, that's the only reason he's here."

Done being the extravagant leader he could be, Peter sat back down but moved to sit near Groot. "So you really didn't do anything, Groot or Garret or whatever your name is?"

Groot shook his head and smiled. Rocket wanted to slap him for being a softy. Peter smiled in a similar, kind way and clapped Groot's shoulder. "You're alright, Groot." Gamora, almost forgotten in the world of the boys, stood watching the bit of admiration floating between Groot and Peter. Groot liked Peter because he was outgoing, and could change and wasn't afraid to be loud and stupid. Peter liked Groot because Groot really just cared a lot without saying much.

"I'll tell the principal if you don't take me with you." Drax insisted, walking over to join the small circle.

"If you guys are all leaving, I wanna come with."

"No way Quill, it's a four person car. We're not gonna fit anyone with you, Jock, Gamora, Groot and me. What do you want us to do, sit in each other's laps?"

The answer to that question was a solid yes.

After breaking out of detention, they walked to Groot's hand-me-down Subaru. Groot climbed into the driver's seat, but was a little too tall for it so he was hunched over. "You don't mind having a small car?" Peter asked. Groot shook his head with the same smile. Drax beat everyone else to the passenger seat, and by beat, I mean he literally socked Peter in the gut to get to it first. It was best though, he wouldn't have fit in the back. The blonde stepped into the seat behind Groot and Gamora into the seat behind Drax, leaving Rocket stranded.

"No way. I'm not gonna be the loser who ends up sitting on someone's lap, especially not rulesy or Jock or Quill."

"You're the smallest, Rocket. Just deal with it."

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh. Finders keepers. I got here first, rules are rules. I can't fit on anyone's lap anyways," Peter really didn't feel like moving. He had already gotten comfortable and had started playing Cherry Bomb through his headphones, and was tapping his foot lightly to the beat. "Wait, hold up, I got an idea!" He leaned between the two front seats and plugged his Walkman into the auxiliary mode on the car.

"Hello Daddy, hello Mom, I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch cherry bomb!" The Runaways came roaring through the speakers, drowning out Rocket's protests. Finally Groot just pointed at Rocket, then to Drax.

The two looked at each other; the thug and the jock. The natural enemies. "I don't want to sit with the tiny one. He's angry and most likely going to injure me."

"Right back at you, big guy." Rocket looked back at his tall and lanky friend. They had a way of communicating through looks and gestures. Currently, Groot's look said something like "please don't make me sit with this bastard" and Groot's was "give the bastard a chance." Rocket sighed in defeat and sat up in Drax's lap.

And finally, they were on the road. Groot accidentally missed where he was supposed to drop Quill off, so Quill was coming along for the ride, much to Gamora's dismay. She didn't want anyone to see her grieving, or showing any sort of emotion for that matter. And dammit Rocket just wanted his own seat. Besides the really fucking obnoxious music the car remained quiet, desolate of any conversation. The five outlaws, the five losers, the really lame breakfast club didn't have anything to say to each other.

"I'm sorry about your dad," Groot finally said.

Nobody heard except Gamora, who lurched forward to turn the volume down. "What did you say, Garret?"

"I'm sorry. About your dad." Groot was just a nickname, a nickname really only a couple people used. When Rocket and Groot met, Groot couldn't pronounce his name right. 

Rocket interpreted it as Groot and has called him that ever since. Rocket had his nickname for a whole different reason and practically forbade anyone from speaking his real name.

And for the first time, everyone in the car saw Gamora smile. Rocket had been attending school with her for most of their education, and had never seen her smile. Peter thought she looked a lot nicer smiling than angry. "Yeah, me too. I mean, I'm sorry. Sounds like he sucks. Not he, shit. I mean sounds like it sucks. Dammit."

Gamora chuckled and nodded. "Thank you, boys. I appreciate it."

When all was said and done, Gamora was dropped off first, then Drax, then Peter. So Rocket finally got his own shotgun seat as they headed back to their neighboring houses. 

"Hey, Dumbo. What'd you wish for, on the dandelion?"


	4. Chapter 4

"I got here as fast as I could, Nebula," Gamora was jogging lightly up to her sister in the parking lot. They were both adopted, close to birth, so they could call each other sisters. 

They didn't even look like they could be distantly related; Nebula enjoyed dying her pixie cut blue, and had skin closer to that of a white chocolate cake than Gamora's regular caramel color. Nebula wasn't afraid of anything, didn't care about anyone.

Nebula chuckled a little bit. "You're such a dependable sister, aren't you? Dad's fine."

"Shouldn't we go see him?"

"Wait, first, I need some money. You have to pay a couple bucks to get in."

The younger sister looked slightly suspicious, but she dug a crumpled twenty from her back pocket. It smelled of dirt and snacks from Groot's car. Nebula happily took the twenty from Gamora's inky fingers into her own conniving paws. "Dad's at home."

"What?"

"I took him home and I didn't have time to tell you. Just walk home, I'll meet you there in a little bit."

"So what was the twenty for?"

"For being so fuckin' gullible, Mora!" Nebula laughed, smacking her sister upside the head. "I'll see you at home," she said, her departing footsteps slightly interfering with her words. Gamora just grumbled and left the parking lot for home. She didn't really wanna walk anymore, but her house was only a little more than a mile. Thomas, her father, would need someone to take care of him and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be Nebula.

The house they lived in was nice. Sure, Nebula's shit was everywhere but it was home. There were three bedrooms; one for Thomas, one for Gamora, and one for Nebula. The blue haired girl with the black lipstick tended to rule over everywhere she went. She liked being in charge, but so did Gamora. Gamora, however, had faced her father's wrath before and preferred not to deal with it if she didn't have to. "I'm home!" She announced. She unloaded her bag and jacket then walked into her father's bedroom. "Nebula said she took you home already. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" The door was closed but Gamora didn't hesitate, just throwing open the door.

Thomas had what most people would call sex addiction. He was consumed with the concept of attraction and people and how they worked; he called it psychology and research.

So it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise for Gamora to see her father in bed with yet another woman. But still, everyone started screaming. The woman was hysterical, Gamora shouted and stuck her tongue out in disgust but Thomas started screaming cuss words and waving his daughter out. Gamora stared for an extra two seconds than was necessary then slammed the door behind her. "God damn it, Nebula."

Nebula came home just around then. "You saw our house guest, Mora? Ugly, isn't she? Dad's really lowered his standards."

"You tricked me! You tricked me into ditching detention and probably getting my friends in trouble! And what's worse, you fucking scared me. And cheated me out of twenty bucks."

"You don't have any friends. Besides, your money went to a noble cause. I needed a little bit more for my new septum piercing."

"Did dad say you could get that?"

"Fuck dad. Oh wait, she beat you to it." Nebula took herself up the stairs without another word, messing with the red metallic ring in her nose. Why did she get to do stuff like that? Gamora dyed her hair purple and had to hide it for months because she thought she'd be kicked out of the house.

Gamora decided she needed a breather so she walked back down to the little shopping center for a cup of coffee. Or maybe a couple. She planned to stay up studying for her AP Anatomy test tomorrow morning. And who would she see there, at the coffee store?

Peter fucking Quill.

Peter was flirting with a tiny curvy girl who worked behind the counter. "You like working with coffee? I mean, you could burn yourself. Coffee is hot. Not as hot as you, of course."

The girl just giggled but Peter got the 'fuck off' message from the girl'a boss. Now Peter was just bored. Not like he had any friends yet, short of Rocket, Mister Literal, Dumbo and Galaga. His eyes did land on Galaga though, from across the room. Should I say something? No. She hates me. Alas, Mr. Quill could not contain himself from blurting out his first thought to the dark/purple haired girl. "Is your dad okay, Gamora?"

Even from here, the melody sound of Peter's song "O-O-H Child" was audible to her ears. She knew he was being serious by how he addressed her. Gamora shook her head, laughing but with a sad look in her eyes. "He's fine."

"Doesn't sound like he is."

"He didn't even get into a car crash."

"So... Why did your sister call you?"

"She's a bitch."

"Anything besides that?"

"It's a long story."

Peter settled into one of the wooden booths in the corner with a double choclatey chip frappucino across from Gamora's black latte.

"I've got time."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hold up. You're telling me that your sister lied to you so she could get some money out of you? That's fucked up, man. I mean I'd probably do it but I wouldn't fake someone's coma to do it. Probably wouldn't do it to my sister either. "

"Yep. She's kind of a bitch."

Peter hadn't known Gamora for very long, but he could tell when she felt like groaning and falling under a table to hide for the next ten years. And he liked that she didn't hide. 

"Well," he started, "there's this party I heard about, down the street from my house. Maybe you could go there instead of back to your jerk family."

Startled, the girl looked up from swirling around the remains of her latte. Her eyes narrowed as they connected with his. "Quill, if you're fucking with me, I will personally make sure you spend the rest of the year in detention."

His hands flew up in defense. "Whoa, what makes you think I would be fucking with you?"

"You call me Galaga."

"Only occasionally." Peter stood up, charming smirk returning to his face, "some girl in Calc told me about it. She told me not to bring a date, but…"

She didn't want to roll her eyes, but she ended up doing it anyway. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

"Why? Will you come?"

"You couldn't get a date if you tried, Quill."

Nothing gave Gamora more satisfaction than seeing Peter's jaw drop in surprise, then watch him slowly recover from the third degree burn. Gamora took to her feet and walked back home, leaving Peter looking pretty fuckin' confused. Why did she flirt with him then turn her back? It was weird, confusing and kinda dumb. But then, so was high school.

"Why do you wanna go to this party?"

Rocket heard Groot's soft voice from the driver's seat. It wasn't intrusive or rude, just curious. Besides, it was out of nowhere. Rocket just called Groot up and asked for a ride to a house up near where they had dropped off Quill earlier. The time was around seven in the evening. The summer sun was just setting beyond the valleys and trees. Groot always liked sunsets. Not as much as sunrises, because sunrises meant so much more to him, but sunsets were lovely nonetheless. If he had his way, he would be sitting on his roof with an apple, looking up at the sky as the purple faded into tiny white lights.

Rocket shrugged. "I heard there would be whiskey. We're all out at home."

Groot would never say it out loud, but that was complete bullshit. There was either something wrong going on at home, or…

"Don't give me that look," the shorter one murmured. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it. I'll punch you in the face and steal your car if you do."

That was 'tough guy' language for "I don't want you to worry about it." So Groot shut up and drove. By the time they arrived at the house, there was really loud/borderline obnoxious Daft Punk playing from the innards of the house. Rocket liked it. Groot didn't so much.

Gamora was there too, to Rocket and Groot's surprise. "Geez, are we gonna see Miss Rulesy everywhere we go?" Rocket whispered, standing on his toes to talk in Groot's ear. 

Groot just shrugged, and gave a small wave in her general direction. She waved her freshly manicured left hand. It wasn't too flamboyant or fancy; just a purple color that matched her hair.

Peter was inside, probably playing seven minutes in heaven somewhere. So most of our Breakfast Club was there; but where was the athlete? Surprise, Levi Drax was inside the green two story as well. He wasn't doing anything interesting like Peter, no, he was wandering around in confusion. He knew his football buddies, but they were all making out with cheerleaders. What was he supposed to do now?

At about the same time the other four walked in, Drax decided the correct answer to above question was to drink.

A lot.

But while Drax downed cheap beer, Peter finished off his game of 'let's see how many girls I can flirt with before I actually have to kiss one' and began to look for Gamora. Not that he'd admit it to her face. He also wouldn't admit he was still a little wounded from what she said earlier, but Gamora was proud because Peter needed a little bit of an ego blow.

"Hey Garrett, Rocket. What are you guys doing here?"

"Uh, hunting vampires for their ivory teeth. What are you doing here?"

"So you're doing something useful for once, Rocket?"

"It was sarcasm, Rulesy."

"Mine wasn't."

Rocket began to growl like an animal and Groot smiled. He liked Gamora, in a little sister way. But Groot thought of everyone as his family. Maybe it was just to make up for the fact he didn't have one.

Our newly formed trio entered the party, leaving the dark, strange neighborhood and entering the even darker, stranger house with people who were inherently evil; high schoolers.

"Hey, Galaga! Short stack, Groot."

"How come you don't call Groot anything weird?" Gamora's hands rested softly on her hips.

"Because Rocket might punch me in the balls. Not like he could get any higher than that."

"Hey, you better shut the f-"

Drax had gotten himself in trouble already. A pattern of clamors erupted from the kitchen, and orchestra piece composed of pots and pans and beer bottles and fists hitting flesh. Only Gamora recognized Drax was involved from just his voice, but the rest of the gang followed her in.

"Looks like you're not much of a destroyer now, huh, tough guy?" Nebula's boot came flying towards Levi's eye socket. The impact was sizable, but misaimed as it made contact with Levi's nose. The sickening noise of cartilage crunching seemed louder than everything else, especially to the other four outcasts.

Let's take a moment to talk about how out of place these five were. Gamora had never been invited to a high school party, and nothing felt right to do besides sit in the corner and hide. Groot had his beanie pulled over his messy hair and remained crouched slightly in order to feel comfortable in the low house. Rocket was just… Well, Rocket hardly ever felt uncomfortable, but people always looked at him in an attempt to make him feel that way. Peter didn't know a single person at the party, or hadn't known them for any more than twelve hours. They just seemed to stick out in the colorful, neon world of sex and drugs.

"Bula, stop it!" Without thinking, Gamora flung herself towards her older sister. Nebula's boyfriend, someone they had not yet met, responded with a swift fist to the gut. It set off a dangerous chain reaction.

Our curly haired giant let out a growl similar to what Rocket sounded like and swung his arm at the man who made Gamora double over. Groot didn't like fighting, but occasionally he would get into a state where he couldn't keep himself from it. It usually involved his family. The other man, a confident and assholeish looking guy that nobody recognized, let himself go on Groot. It was evident he had a lot more experience in the fighting realm.

"You better get your hands off him, or I'll make sure you never step foot in this town again."

"I've heard about you," the man laughed, grabbing Rocket by the wrist. "We used to call you vermin in middle school. Remember me, rat?"

Rocket's eyes never had been so wide. "Ronan."

"Damn right, kiddo. Oh, and you're still friends with Dumbo over here? Damn, I figured he would've been killed by now. Nobody would miss him anyway."

"You don't have any right to be an asshole to them!" Peter set his hands on Ronan's shoulders, even though Ronan was slightly taller, and shoved him. "I don't care who you are, but the only people who can call Groot 'Dumbo' are me and Rocket."

Rocket managed to squeak, "just me, actually."


	6. Chapter 6

"The only people who can call Groot 'Dumbo' are me and Rocket."

Rocket managed to squeak, "just me, actually."

Peter's first instinct was to roll his eyes at Rocket. After all, he was just trying to make a point to this Rowan guy or whoever he was. Rocket squirmed like a while animal in a hunter's trap, trying his absolute hardest to get out of Ronan's grip. By the way Ronan was holding him, Rocket could feel the bruises forming around the muscles of his wrist.

Ronan decided to let Rocket go, letting him fall onto the unconscious body of Levi Drax. When they thought the worst of it was over, Ronan and Nebula leaned over, spitting on Rocket. With his left arm wrapped around Nebula, Ronan strode out with a confident smirk.

Peter opened his mouth to speak. There must've been a dozen thoughts going through his head; most of them having to do with protecting the very few people he held dear. 

Groot seemed to catch these feelings from across the room, or perhaps the feelings were his own, and in turn stretched his arm out to stop Ronan. Groot's large, bony hand hit 

Ronan's puffed out chest with a hard thump. But before even Nebula could call it, Ronan took Groot's hand and twisted it in an unnatural direction. The noise Groot made coupled with the noise of bones cracking was enough to make the couple having sex in the upstairs bathroom pause and wonder what was going on.

And in that moment, each of our outcasts could feel their heart splinter in the same way as Groot's ulna did.

"C'mon guys," Peter grumbled, pulling Drax up from the floor. Gamora came to assist him and carry half of The Destroyer over her left shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

"And where do you suggest we go?" Snapped Gamora. She was in no mood for games, or messing around.

"Groot needs a fuckin' hospital!"

"No!" Rocket finally pushed himself to his feet. "We don't need no damn hospital. Quill, isn't your hours right down the street?"

Peter wanted to insist on a hospital. The overwhelming feeling of worry, of concern for another human being washed over him without any warning. Actually, he was worried about multiple human beings. What the hell was this? Quill had never been worried about anyone but himself before, and even then he didn't take very good care of himself. How was he supposed to help an unconscious quarterback, a mute man with a broken arm, and a hothead with most probably a broken wrist? He believed he wasn't responsible enough for these people. What had he dug himself into just by getting into detention once?

His mouth opened to protest Rocket's statement. Before a word could escape his chapped lips, Groot set his good hand on Peter's shoulder and nodded. It took a moment for everyone to realize he was nodding in agreement with his best friend.

So with that, the one uninjured woman and the four injured boys began down the street to Quill's brand new two story house. The house was dark inside, save for one light from the living room. It quivered and shifted, the shades of light changing between seconds. Gamora recognized it as the pixelated light from a television. "Is someone home?"

"Just my dad."

"Will he help us?"

Peter looked to be considering this for a long moment. Then he shook his head. "If all goes as planned, he won't even hear us come in." Gamora wrinkled up her little brown nose. 

Then she felt Drax's body falling, and had to readjust herself to carry him better.

The first sounds they could hear in the house were snoring and the dialogue of a pay-per-view porno going on in the living room. Gamora had no idea how relieved Peter was to   
hear the awkward pickup lines of some porn blockbuster knockoff. To Peter, this meant that Yon was out for the night. Now the only challenge in their way was the flight of stairs between them and Peter's bedroom. They came up with an arrangement; Peter carrying Drax's head and shoulders while Gamora took his feet and Rocket helped the best he could. 

Groot didn't say anything but the look in his eyes revealed only to Rocket that he felt bad, he felt useless, he felt like this was somehow all his fault.

"Shut up," the short sophomore whispered to him. "If this is anyone's fault, it's Quarterback's."

Even though his words weren't particularly comforting in nature, they still warmed Groot's heart. It was nice to know that someone would find him useful and good and not a total fuck up, and that person would always be Groot.

Gamora and Peter let Drax down on the queen sized bed that was essentially the only piece of furniture in Peter's room. The rest of the walls were decorated with boxes, written on with black sharpie and illegible handwriting to label them during the move.

It suddenly struck Gamora that this was the quietest they had ever been together. Peter let out a soft groan of exhaustion as he fell back onto the floor. Groot and Rocket followed suit, taking a place on the white carpet. The carpet was soft to the touch and almost comforting; familiar, maybe. Not like the cold tile of the kitchen they were fighting in, or the brittle moldy shit at the school that they called carpet. Peter's carpet wasn't as new as it looked; Groot could tell by the smell.

Rocket always had this theory that Groot could smell and hear better than everyone else could, because his brain wasn't so full of stupid thoughts. And maybe he was right. That was the last thought floating through Rocket's head before he fell asleep in a curled up ball like a dog. Groot passed out like he was dead; straight on his back with his hands folded. Peter, on the other hand, fell asleep with his arms and legs flailed out in odd positions, as if he were searching for something. Gamora noticed this and giggled, then her eyes found the small stuffed teddy bear on the bed next to Drax. Carefully, quietly, she took the rugged bear in her hands. A small tag stuck out from the leg.

"From Mom," it read, in faded handwriting.

A sad smile pushed its way across Gamora's lips. Even though she considered herself the smartest in the room, she was the last to realize;

Peter wasn't just a player.

Drax wasn't just a jock.

Rocket wasn't just a hothead.

Groot wasn't just a basketcase.

She wasn't just the goody two shoes.

She had been brainwashed to think this way, to believe people's most prominent features ruled the rest of their personality. As Gamora fell asleep, another epiphany graced her mind.

"Goodnight," she whispered to the 2am air.


	7. Chapter 7

When Peter woke up on the following Saturday morning, he was alone inside his empty room. Maybe, he thought, it wasn't anything more than a dream. Maybe he had gotten so wasted at the party that he had come home and crashed on his floor with odd dreams of Gamora and Rocket and Groot and Drax was in there somewhere.

But he didn't feel that wasted.

Peter pushed himself to his feet and an aching pain shot across his gut. So he really was socked in the gut by some crazy ass giant who was dating Gamora's sister. But then…

Where did the rest of the breakfast club go?

Quill's sock covered feet thumped down and down the stairs. Quickly he found he was dizzy, and maybe should've waited a few minutes before running down the stairs. Oh god, what if they met Yon? What if Yon kicked their asses? Or worse, they could be dead in the backyard covered in beer bottles and cigarette butts. Just the thought of his adoptive father making any sort of contact with the other kids from Knowhere High School.

"You're a fucking idiot."

Oh god, now Gamora was calling someone an idiot. It was only nine in the morning. But what followed afterwards almost knocked Peter out of his gross, hole filled socks. They started laughing. He was still a little unsure as to who 'they' were, but light morning laughter was always good. Finally Quill rounded the corner into the kitchen.

Rocket was sitting up on the marble island in his classic tough guy stance; arms crossed in front of his chest. Groot was leaning against the sink directly across from Rocket. His deep green hoodie was rolled up to his elbow and his arm was wrapped in gauze and an ace bandage. Then Gamora was retrieving some waffles from the toaster for Drax. "You decide to pick a fight with Ronan? He was expelled from the community college for breaking some kid's arms because the kid said Black Veil Brides was a punk band."

"It's hard to blame him though. That's awful." Rocket had a little mug with light coffee in it. He liked to say that he took his coffee black, then snuck a ton of sugar into it. He was the first one to notice the fifth kid in the room. "Hey, sleeping ugly's up."

Everyone but Gamora turned to look, but after she handed the plate of waffles to Drax, her eyes darted over to Peter. The little turn up of the right corner of her lip made Peter's heart nearly stop and it took him a minute to recover from whatever emotions he had been feeling.

"Jesus, you guys scared me. What are you even doing?"

"Helping ourselves to your food, coffee and internet." Rocket then brought his coffee mug to his lips but Peter could see the little smirk on his face. After setting his coffee down, Rocket pulled out his phone. "You really should think of a better internet password than COOLGUYQUILL32."

"How'd you know the thirty two part?"

"It's your locker number, stupid."

Peter should've been mad but he just laughed. Even Drax was smiling a little bit, with waffles in his teeth and holding a cold bag of carrots to his black eye. They couldn't find a steak or anything else.

"How's the big guy doing?" Peter leaned his shoulder against the wall.

Drax cleared his throat, but didn't answer. He looked from Groot, to Peter, and back again. "Oh, you're talking to me?"

"You're the big guy, right?"

"I thought Garret was the big guy. I'm a quarterback."

"Okay fine, how's Quarterback doing?"

Levi seemed to smile a bit in his own personal satisfaction. "I have some internal hemorrhaging, five bruises and six cuts. I had the small one count for me."

Rocket couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, but then again, he didn't try that hard, "I've got a name, dumbass."

Both Peter and Gamora chuckled, before answering Rocket's comment in a perfect unison. Well, almost perfect.

"Yeah, it's Rocket."

"Yeah, it's William."

The whole room came to a complete standstill. The timing came perfectly with Rocket's, or William's, small coffee cup decorated with the vinyl logo 'I love dogs' came crashing to the floor. Groot's jaw dropped in the same fashion as the coffee cup but he couldn't keep the expression for too long. The hot, sugary coffee made contact with Groot's feet, which were freakishly long by the way. He jumped up nearly three feet in the air and if he had been a couple inches taller he might've hit the ceiling.

"William?" inquired Quill.

"No, it's not William! It's Rocket."

"It's William Bishop Augustine Jr., actually." The tall girl in the corner of the kitchen couldn't help laughing. She tried to hide her laugh behind a rushed manicured hand, but she just couldn't do it. Soon the entire kitchen was in laughter; Groot's quiet snicker, Drax's loud and hearty laugh, Peter laughing like an idiot and Gamora giggling.

Rocket let out his signature growl, putting his feet up on the island. "Shut your mouths, you idiots! That's not my name, I swear. It's uh, Robert."

Peter swung his head in a goofy fashion toward Garret. "Is William Bishop whatever Jr. his real name, Groot?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A relaxing Saturday morning.

“William Bishop Augustine Junior?” Peter spat in disbelief. He literally sent saliva across the room. He couldn’t believe it. “Groot, hey. Is it really true?”

Groot pulled his beanie over his face, and raised his hands in self defense. “Don’t bring me into this,” he mumbled.

Rocket crossed his arms, pouting, “thanks a lot, Garrett.” 

Gamora just leaned against the sink and laughed. 

“Besides, my name’s cool. It means protector. And you’re fucking Peter, you’re a rock!”

“Hey! Rocks were popular in the eighties.”

“Then I guess you were born in the wrong era because nobody thinks you’re cool now. You’re fucked, Pete.”

Drax just looked very confused and flipped the bag of carrots over, so the colder side would be against his black eye. He decided to keep his mouth shut even though Peter wasn’t really a rock. Really, must they always have things explained to them?

“You guys are acting like five year olds,” Gamora finally managed to breathe between her laughs. “Not that that’s any different from the rest of the time.”

The kitchen was small and outdated, and led out into Quill’s living room. Shabby was what Gamora would call it and homey was what Groot would call it. 

Peter looked genuinely offended. “Excuse you. I have the music taste, the movie taste, and the sense of humor of a… Not five year old.”

“Smooth one, ‘cool guy Quill’. What movies do you got in here?” William, Rocket, whatever you wanna call him, made his way to a little cabinet near the television. Everyone else decided to follow the tiny sophomore’s lead.

Drax just noticed the large amounts of stains on the couch. He didn’t think anything of it, so sat down. Gamora decided to sit on a fluffy, nearby and matching love seat, and Rocket sat on the floor. Groot moved to sit next to Drax but Rocket made a couple of frantic hand motions and made the big goofbutt sit on the floor. 

Rocket tossed the DVDs back in disdain. “God, all you have are old movies. Where’s Taken? Or a James Bond flick or something. You don’t even have any of the Fast and the Furious movies. Paul Walker just died, you know. You have no respect.” He continued flipping through Peter’s collection, despite Peter’s protest and Gamora’s slight, surprised squawk when Rocky Horror Picture Show came flying towards her nose.

Finally, Rocket came to a stop. “Dude. You’re kidding me.”

“What?” Peter mumbled as he tried to decide where to sit. He decided on the armrest of Gamora’s love seat, to her chagrin.

“I can’t believe it.”

“What is it, William Augustine?”

“This is blasphemy.”

“Spit it out, dammit.”

“You have the fuckin’ remake of Footloose, from 2011, but you don’t have the original. Quill, you either have neither of the movies or you have the classic. No exceptions.”

“Oh… Yeah. This girl stole it from me. She was mad at me."

"For what, fucking then running?" 

Peter sent a harsh growl towards Gamora, who just smirked. His growl answered her question. 

"Anyway... She was mad at me for breaking up with her and she knew that was my favorite. She was named after, like, a vegetable or something. A beet, maybe. I dunno. She had pink hair and shit and went to my old school."

Everyone didn't seem to want to hear Peter's one billionth and third girl story, so they turned to Rocket. He raised his eyebrows and looked to Groot, using his telepathic powers to talk to Groot. Something then made him finally put the DVD in the old, busted up player.

Now I gotta cut loose, footloose, kick off your Sunday shoes...

And so they sat, in the early morning light, watching some Kevin Bacon wannabe try to recreate the old classic. Peter fucking hated it. He began to let his mind wander.

I wonder if we'll be friends at school on Monday. Probably. We could be the island of misfit toys. Except Drax, he's accepted into society, literal mind and all. Where does Gamora fit into the school?

As if he would be caught for moving too fast, Peter scrolled his grass green eyes to the beautiful girl sitting next to him.

Gamora wasn't the perfect girl. There was no such thing as a perfect girl, but Gamora definitely didn't fit his type. Peter like short and curvy girls, usually with dark hair, and they dressed like that's all they cared about. And there was nothing wrong with those types of girls, oh no. Peter liked all girls.

But Gamora was... Different. 

He had liked nerdy girls and short girls and tall girls and big girls and small girls and... Just, she was different. Peter had no idea why. It kinda pissed him off, actually. His nose crunched up and twisted while he thought.

Her skin was soft, her hair was a galaxy purple, the sweater she was wearing looked only a tad too big, the chain around her neck highlighted her collarbones and her cheekbones could kill a man. Beautiful in some weird way.

"Peter?"

"Wha- what?"


	9. The Galaxy Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice little bonding day at a nearby diner.

“I thought you said this diner was, like, a block away, Peter!”

 

“It is! I thought it was, I mean. But it’s worth it, it’s a really cool diner.”

 

Rocket let out a long, dramatic, and very loud groan. “Nothing you think is cool is actually cool. Let’s just go to a McDonald’s and call it a day.”

 

Their mile and a half walk in the cold October air brought them to a fifies themed diner, called The Galaxy.

 

Peter took his last couple of strides to the door with a reminiscent sigh. “I went on my first date here. And my second date. And a couple of one night stands in the parking lot… Such good times. C’mon.”

 

Inside was cute, with little portraits of Elvis and the Grease soundtrack playing and classic car photos decorating the walls. The waitresses didn’t have anything to do so they were just standing around in their little pin up uniforms, until the brat pack came in and slid into a booth.

 

_With new boosters, plates and shocks_

_I can get off my rocks_

_You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real pussy wagon_

_Greased Lightnin'_

 

“Ah,” Peter sighed again, “good times. I fingered Sandra Lee for the first time right where you and quarterback are sitting, Gamora.”

 

“Ew! That’s disgusting, Quill!” Climbing up on the leather seat, Gamora stepped over to sit in another booth. “You are a slimy, no good-”

 

Rocket cackled. “Good job, Quill! She’s hot!”

 

“Oh my god. You guys are going to keep sitting there?”

 

The whole group looked at each other, as if considering it.

 

Groot’s face was bright red after Rocket whispered to him about Quill’s activity, and he scrambled up to sit with Gamora.

 

Drax didn’t know what was going on and frankly didn’t care, but prefered the company of Gamora and Groot to Rocket and Peter, so he migrated as well.

 

Peter groaned, rolling his eyes. “You guys act like no one ever cleans in here, jesus.” Despite his bad attitude, him and Rocket moved as well.

 

“Why, how long ago was it?”

 

“Hi! Welcome to The Galaxy. My name is Carina, what can I get started for you guys?”

 

“Oh my god,” Rocket whispered.

 

“Did you say something, sir?”

 

“Nothing! What, no. It was this guy,” Rocket jabbed a finger to Groot, “he always needs to shut up, huh, Groot? Ha ha! Yeah… Nice diner and stuff.”

 

Carina forced a smile at Rocket’s slightly awkward behavior before taking their drink orders and skipping off.

 

An awkward silence overtook their table.

 

_There are worse things I could do,_

_than go with a boy or two_

_Even though the neighborhood thinks_

_I'm trashy and no good I suppose it could be true_

 

“Rocket, what the fuck was that about?” Peter finally asked. “That’s the worst I’ve ever seen you interact with anyone.”

 

Rocket’s eyes darted around and a shifty air overtook him. “W-what? Nothing. I didn’t do anything. Shut the fuck up, you guys, jesus. Where are those drinks?”

 

Gamora’s jaw dropped in realization. “Oh my god, Rocket.”

 

“What? Shut up.”

 

“You think she’s cute, don’t you?”

 

Groot grinned and nodded vigorously, but stopped when Rocket hit him over the head. “Shut up, you toothpick.”

“I didn’t know you were capable of any emotion besides bitterness and anger, Rocket! Go get her number, finger her in that booth. Make that your booth!” Peter cheered. He raised his hand for a high five.

 

Rocket didn’t reciprocate. His hands were folded while he tried to look angry.

 

“Quill, that’s gross. Rocket, don’t do that. Just get her number,” Gamora nudged Rocket with her arm repeatedly. “Rocket and Carina, sittin’ in a tree…”

 

Levi Drax finally broke his silence. Well, he didn’t talk, he just hit his knees on the low table when he stood up. His boots made an intimidating noise that could probably be heard from miles away as he crossed the diner, and slid into a seat at the bar. Levi shot a smartass, borderline snarky smile at the four back at the table.

 

“What the fuck is he-” Rocket stood but wasn’t that much taller than the booth.

 

Gamora pulled him back down. “Shh, let’s watch.”

 

Carina sat behind the counter, washing cups when Drax took the seat right in front of her. She smiled and said something they couldn’t hear from their seat - they were confused and completely in the dark about what the 6’0”, two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle was doing talking to some waitress.

 

He didn’t talk to anyone, much less people he had just met.

 

Despite their preconceived notions, Drax put on a charming smile and flexed his arms at her.

 

“Ooh, shit,” Peter whispered after watching them talk for ten minutes, “I think Drax is takin’ a stab at Rocket’s girl.”

 

Those ten minutes consisted of mostly Carina giggling, looking over at their table, and blushing. At the end, she scribbled something on a piece of paper and slid it to him before bounding off into the kitchen.

 

Drax stood again and walked over to their booth. “I am victorious!” He shouted, laughing and slamming the piece of paper down on the table.

 

“You asshole! You only went after her because I thought she was cute, huh? You fucking prick, I knew I shouldn’t ever have hung out with you. All you jocks are all the same - backstabbing assholes with nice bodies and stupid ass-”

 

“Um, Rocket?”

 

“Gamora, shut up for a second, I’m not done!”

 

“Rocket! He got her number for you, you prick.”

 

“What?” Rocket’s voice dropped in volume sharply, as his face grew red, starting with the tips of his ears. He grabbed the piece of paper as fast as he could.

 

 

 

"You know, Drax? You're not half bad."


End file.
